


Pulled An Emmett

by HesitantlyHipsterAlien



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Also the first half of chapter two, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beau from the gym appears and is a douche, Brian being protective, Crying, Emmett is a sass ball but he's also sensitive as shit, Gen, HIV scare mention, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post Justin's bashing, Saying no, Skip chapter one if verbal abuse is a trigger for you, Swearing, The word faggot will be used, angsty fluff, flash backs, hurt comfort, tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 14:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11337357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HesitantlyHipsterAlien/pseuds/HesitantlyHipsterAlien
Summary: Emmett is having some trouble with his love life after the HIV+ scare.





	1. Trouble

Emmett's problems started when Beau from the gym ran into him again. He was just coming off the dance floor, slick with sweat and seeking refreshment in his preferred fruity alcoholic beverage, when Beau spotted him. The gym buff bought his drink for him and they got to talking.

Turns out, Beau wasn't like the usual mascs Emmett ran into at the gym. He was super sweet, laughing at Emmett's jokes and complimenting his eyes, and as their conversation went on, Emmett learned some fascinating things about his new "friend". Beau was also a southern boy, though he'd grown up in Oklahoma. He had seven older siblings, three of whom were queer in some way or another, and Beau's favorite movie was the source of Emmett's favorite song. They just clicked.

So, later that night, after the whole crew had been partying for a few hours, Emmett built up the courage to ask Beau to come back to his place. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. 

<...>

He and Beau were sprawled on the couch making out, with tongue, when it hit him like a ton of bricks. First came the overwhelming feelings of anxiety and remorse from the worst night of the HIV+ scare. Then, the second wave was revulsion, and guilt, as memories of his attempts to be straight came back in a flurry. Finally, all out fear overtook Emmett's thoughts. 

Beau's hand on his zipper snapped him out of it, and Emmett quickly grabbed for the other man's hand.

"Wait! Stop!" He squeaked, pulling away from the very attractive and now slightly confused looking man who was shoved backwards onto the couch in Emmett's escape. As Emmett stood at the end of the couch, arms crossed over his chest, trembling, Beau scowled.

"Whaddya mean 'stop'?" Beau demanded, sitting up on the couch. "Guys like you don't tell guys like me to stop."

"Well it happened so get over your self," Emmett snarled, taking a step back to put some distance between himself and Beau, who was starting to make him very nervous. "I think you should leave..."

"After all that?!" Beau stood, incredulous. Clearly somebody wasn't used to being told no.


	2. Breakdown

Emmett supposed he should have expected Beau to be mad.

First he'd turned him down in the gym, as gently as he possibly could have. But now, after a whole night of drinking and flirting together, as well as a hot and heavy make out session that had been almost an hour long, Emmett was changing his mind. Anyone would have expected the other person to be mad after that. That didn't make the situation any less terrifying though.

Beau threw an absolute fit, shouting about how Emmett was "pathetic" and "a tease" and how a "faggot" like Emmett should feel lucky to lick the shit off Beau's shoes. All the while, the blue eyed "scene queen" stared wordlessly ahead, frozen, back against the wall, as the man screamed.

<...>

Hours later, Emmett was curled on the couch in his "Queens College" tee and plaid pj pants, tearing up to one of the scenes from gone with the wind.

The skin on his shoulders and back of his neck still stings from scalding himself in the shower after Beau finally left. Places on his forearms and toreso were still faintly red even hours later from him, in his panicked state, scrubbing his baby soft skin raw.

Thoughts come creeping in. Toxic ones that he knows full well he shouldn't let in. But he lets them in anyway.

He's being melodramatic, the thoughts are convinced. That is, after all, one of the two words most commonly linked with Emmett. Melodramatic and judgy. The thoughts seem to think Emmett should agonize over this, but frankly, he just doesn't have the mental energy for it.


	3. Brian

When Brian Kinney walked into Babylon- where Justin sent him because, in his words, 'Sunshine needs his space'- he knew almost immediately that something was wrong. But what? Scanning the crowd for his boys, he spotted Michael and Ted, who waved at him from their place by the bar. Scanning the room once more, Brian found his answer.

Emmett wasn't here.

Pushing his way through the crowd of sweaty bodies and flailing limbs, Brian shouted to Michael and Ted, struggling to be heard over the incessant, thumping base. "Emmett off dancing with his new boy toy already?"

"No, we called him from the diner," Ted responded patiently. "He said he caught a nasty cold and didn't feel like dancing?"

"A cold?" Brian scowled. "He was fine yesterday."

"He said it just came on this morning," Michael interjected. "I'm sure he's fine. You know how melodramatic Emmett can be."

Brian shakes his head, still in what he deems as "justified disbelief". Colds didn't normally come on bad enough to keep someone home sick within the first twenty-four hours. But, Michael and Ted were right in one thing. Brian did know Emmett- and apparently better than the both of them- because he knew that Emmett almost never got sick and bragged about that often. No, something else must have been wrong with Emmett, and Brian was going to figure out what that was.

Turning to leave, Brian paused only when Michael asked: "Hey, where're you going?"

"To check on Emmett," He retorted dismissively. "I'll see you guys later."

Normally this sort of behavior would be uncharacteristic for Brian Kinney. But, since Justin's bashing, the man had been different. More protective of Justin and his boys. His normally well hidden caring had been seeping out a lot more often lately.

Ted and Michael simply gave eachother a look before continuing to sip their drinks.


	4. Comfort

Emmett was about halfway through rewatching RENT when someone knocked on his front door. Groaning at the interruption of his safe, peaceful evening at home, he forced himself to get up off the couch to answer the door.

When it swung open, Brian was waiting on the other side, a rare gentle smile on his face.

"Hey Em," The taller man pulled him into a sort of sideways hug before offering him a to-go cup from the Liberty Diner. "Lemon tea, exactly the way you like it."

"Thank you," Emmett said, accepting the cup with a soft smile sort of pulling at his lips. As he leaned into the embrace, a question came to mind though. "Justin's not with you?"

"Sunshine demanded his space," Brian said with a shrug. "I may have been smothering the poor kid a little. Originally I was just going to dick around at Babylon, but then when I got there, you weren't there and the guys said you were sick..."

"So you came to check on me," Emmett said, his smile faltering as he moved to let Brian wander in before shutting the door.

"Sure did," Brian replied, moving to sit on the couch, and wrinkling his nose a little at the fact RENT was playing. He was surprised Emmett still liked this movie after what happened the night of Michael's birthday. When Emmett moved to sit down across from him, Brian tentatively placed a hand against the slender male's forehead. "Well, you don't seem to have a fever."

"Colds don't always come with a fever," Emmett retorted in a sort of half-assed defense. But, all it took was a skeptical look from Brian- complete with his trademarked raised eyebrow and slight frown- for that defense to crumble. In a reluctant tone, he admitted: "But... I'm not actually sick..."

"It wasn't a good lie, Em..." Brian gently said. "If Michael or Teddy had been thinking with their heads instead of their dicks tonight, one of them would have remembered you never get sick."

Nodding some, Emmett looked down, picking at a loose thread on his pajamma bottoms as he dreaded the question that came next.

"Where's Beau?"

"Gone," Emmett said, feeling cool to the point of numbness. "Guys like me don't say no to guys like him."

The change in Brian's mood from playfully concerned best friend to angry protector was so sudden that Emmett flinched when Brian moved towards him. Then, he found himself wrapped in Brian's arms.

"He didn't hurt you, did he? I swear to god if that bastard did anything I'll kick his ass and Mel will have him in jail faster than-"

"He didn't, Bri," Emmett responded, his tone now gentle, almost pleading as he gripped a fistful of Brian's shirt. "He just yelled, a lot. Said some things about me being pathetic and a tease or whatever."

A frown pulled at the older man's lips as he cradled Emmett against his chest. "All that because you told him no?"

"Well sort of..."

"Alright, wanna explain what happened?"

Pulling away to look at the man who over the years had playfully teased him about being too femme and annoyed him with snarky comments, but had also always been there to give the best advice, Emmett sighed. If he was going to share the horror story that was the previous night with any one, it may as well have been Brian, as he was probably the only one who'd really understand.


	5. Safe

"Well..." Emmett begins hesitantly, holding his cup of tea with both hands. "We'd been hanging out most of the night at Babylon last night... you and the others saw that... and we seemed to be hitting it off so I figured 'What the fuck, I'll invite him back to my place, see where things go'. So we're here, in the middle of the hottest make out session I've had in awhile, he slipped me tongue and everything and... uh... hmm... suddenly, all I could think about was how I felt when I thought I was positive... and that led to remembering my endeavors in heterosexuality..."

Brian nodded when Emmett glanced up at him, a gentle nudge to continue. So, Emmett did.

"Now, don't get me wrong, Beau is a hot guy and totally out of my league, but even that wasn't enough to combat a sudden rerun of the worst week of my life. Kinda killed the mood for me, y'know? So anyways, he was about to unzip my pants and I freaked out and shoved him off me, pulled a total Emmett, and asked him to leave... and then he started yelling and-"

"Hold up," Brian interrupted. "What is 'pulled a total Emmett' supposed to mean...?"

"Oh, you know... I totally overreacted... I was just being melodramatic as usual... I-"

"Who came up with that?" Brian demanded, scowling with concern. "Em, you shouldn't feel the need to invalidate your own feelings like that."

"I'm not-"

"Yes you are!" The older male scolded before pulling Emmett back into a hug. Pressing a kiss to his friend's temple, Brian continued. "You have every right to be scared and say no, Em. You thought you had AIDS for the entire week of Michael's birthday. Of course you'd be freaked out if that all came rushing back to you suddenly. I would."

"Y-you would...?" Emmett's tone was shaken with disbelief. Brian nodded. Emmett stared at the older man for a moment before bursting into tears, burying his face in Brian's chest.

Cradling the sobbing male, Brian ran a hand through Emmett's feathery hair, murmuring in a soothing tone. "Beau is a douche. You are not pathetic, not in any way, shape or form. I've seen you stand up to guy's three times the size of you when they started picking on Michael and Teddy or made an off comment about your hair. You are one of the sweetest, kindest, most caring and courageous guys I know... but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to get scared sometimes too."


	6. Happy

Hours later, Brian carried Emmett- who was out cold- into the loft, placing him gingerly on the couch and draping a blanket over him. Emmett barely stirred, burying his face in the fuzzy cloth. Brian gently squeezed the sleeping boy's shoulder before moving to hang up his jacket.

From the bathroom, Justin's voice wafted into the room as he was singing in the shower. It was some new, absolutely obnoxious pop-tune that the bubble butt blonde happened to love. A smile found its way onto Brian's face as he made his way towards the bed to sit and wait for Justin. But of course, sitting turned into laying down as it had been sort of a draining night. 

He'd closed his eyes and tucked one arm behind his head, and laid quite peacefully for all of ten minutes before he heard a delighted "You're home!" that was followed by Justin practically jumping onto the bed next to him. Opening one eye, Brian peered at the blonde boy in amusement. "You really missed me that much? What happened to needing your space?"

"Having it got boring after ten minutes," Justin said nonchalantly. But the way he didn't look Brian in the eye when he said it said that wasn't the whole story. 

A thought occured to Brian that Justin sometimes got freaked out if he was home alone too long.

Sitting up, the brunette studied his blonde boyfriend's face. It took a minute or so to see because Justin's shower hid most of it, but Brian could tell from the glassy eyes and hoarse voice that Justin had been crying.

"Maybe we can try having space by just hanging out in different rooms next time," Brian said, kissing Justin's forehead.

Burrowing himself into Brian's arms, Justin nodded, gripping a fistful of Brian's shirt the same way Emmett had earlier. "That sounds like a way better idea than being here completely alone..."

Brian nodded back, pulling Justin to lay down with him. After a moment, both were asleep.

<...>

Emmett woke to the sound of someone rattling around in the kitchen. Opening his eyes, he froze for a minute in confusion as he registered where he was. It was only after he vaguely remembered Brian saying that he'd take him to the loft so he wouldn't be home alone that it clicked where he was. Sitting up, he glanced into the kitchen, and smiled at the sight of the beautiful blonde boy hard at work making breakfast. Standing, Emmett moved to join him. "Morning."

"Morning Em, you sleep okay?" Justin asked with that bright, beautiful smile that had earned him the nickname Sunshine. Emmett nodded, smiling back. 

"I did... did you and Brian sleep?" He asked with a wink, receiving a towel whip to the butt that made him jump. "Hey now, don't get sassy with me, baby. It was just a harmless question."

Justin smirked, sticking a finger in the waffle batter. "Y'know, I somehow get the feeling you're not as harmless as you always say, Emmett Honeycutt." And with that, he smears a little batter onto Emmett's nose.

Gasping with shock, Emmett moves to chase after Justin, who hightails it into the living room. "Well I never- get back here!" The chase turned into a tickle fight as the two fell over the couch and rolled onto the floor. Both were laughing loud and hard and Emmett realized it gave the loft a warm, homey sort of feeling he wasn't used to associating with this place.

"Should I leave before you two start screwing or can I watch?" Brian teased, having appeared in the bedroom doorway while the two were catching their breath.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" Justin's expression was immediately concerned. Brian shook his head with another one of those rare, gentle smiles. 

"Don't worry about it Sunshine," He said, walking over to plant a kiss on Justin's forehead. "I like waking up to the sound of you and Emmett laughing... it feels... happy."

Justin nodded, and with that the trio moved into the kitchen to finish making waffles.


End file.
